Resolute
by Sceptic62
Summary: Sometimes, we don't wish to grow. We enjoy our place in the universe and want the world to continue as is. Sometimes, we are forced to grow. And in those cases, all we can do is be resolute in our actions.


A/N: Hi all, had another bout of brainstorming and came up with this. If you follow my other stories, I have a message for you on my profile. Read and Review.

"Ugggggh." A youthful male voice groaned. Just where the hell was he?! Over three hours wandering around Vale city proper, and he still couldn't find the damned bullhead port or his brother. He ran a calloused hand through his red locks, underneath his hat, before knocking away his aqua colored bangs. His other hand was resting on the pommel of his weapon, a saber. A slightly chilly Fall wind blew by, causing the young man to pull his coat closer to his body.

"Aaaachoo!" Even though Vale was a more mediterranean location, compared to the southern temperament of his home kingdom of Cameran, it might as well have been winter. Which led to his current outfit decision. A simple, dark blue, broad rimmed Cavalier hat that denoted his status as a knight in the kingdom of Cameran topped his head. Following that piece was a light blue pea coat, covering a similarly colored shirt that was emblazoned with his family crest, three long strokes of red, blue and green. And finally, his white combat pants finished his ensemble with a pair of grey greaves. But not even being wrapped up tighter than a present could stave off the slow chill seeping through his bones.

"Why the hell is Vale so bloody frickin' cold!?" He shouted in frustration, startling a few passerby. Realizing that he was causing a scene, our young fifteen year old hero sheepishly apologized before rushing away from the street he was on. He quickly ducked into the nearest building, looking for any semblance of warmth. The doors automatically opened as he deftly stepped in. Upon feeling the heat extinguish the frozen feeling in his extremities, he blessed the gods of indoor heating before relaxing and taking a look around at his surroundings.

"I have the worst luck." He deadpanned. Of all the stores he stepped into, he just had to step into the one being accosted by White Fang members. In the middle of the day no less! The clerk had apparently been in the middle of emptying his goods into a bag held by one of the White Fang members under threat of a bladed weapon. The other six grunts inside the building had all trained their ranged weaponry on the door the moment the bell signalling a customer chimed. And the bulkiest of them, which he had to assume was their leader, had started rev'ing a damned chainsaw! Auris just wanted to go home at this point. Screw the White Fang. Screw Beacon Academy. And screw Vale! This place sucked!

"You sure do, dear little brother." A calm voice stated. Auris sighed in relief this time as he felt a hand grasp his right shoulder. A boisterous belly laugh from his comrade followed up that calm remark from his older brother.

"It's nice to see you three too." He said as he turned to see his brother and his teammates. A lilting giggle came from the only female member of their group. It certainly fit her image at least, thought Auris.

Denoted by a green cavalier hat with a red feather, she was the daintiest looking of their group, although that was simply misdirection. Her outfit consisted of a red ribbon that tied up her long verdant hair into a ponytail, and a green with white trim half coat that ended around her stomach. The always elegant Bibiane Virizion completed the look with a red tank top and the same type of white combat pants that Auris and his brother preferred.

The other members of the team preferred a darker palette of colors. Auris' brother, dressed himself in a royal blue, gold trimmed officer's coat, combined with his cavalier hat of the same style with golden feather. The young man's off blue hair was swept back away from his face, adding a more regal look to his sharply defined features. Acel Cobalion, older brother of Auris Keldeo, was a man of few words and steely action.

And finally, there was Xarles Terrakion. Unlike the others, he never wore his cavalier's hat. Instead, he let his brown hair cascade down freely. The only thing denoting his position as a knight of Cameran was his officer's coat, that was stylized grey with bronze trimming, which he wore around his shoulders as a cowl. The only other article of clothing was his grey cargo pants. How Xarles could stand this weather shirtless, Auris would never understand. Caught in his musings, Auris never noticed the White Fang leader swinging at him until the man was already descending upon him. A longsword met the chainsaw head on, and the saw was found wanting. Shattering the chain, Acel knocked the man and his weapon clear across the room before chasing him into the fray. That was the signal for the fight to start.

"Keep your mind sharp, young Auris!" Bibiane whispered serenely as she glided by him while pulling out her rapier to assist Acel. From here, Auris could see that although the White Fang agent was caught off guard, he was hardly injured from the surprise counter, and was matching Acel blow for blow with a broken weapon.

"But don't be afraid to let loose. This is our last good old fashioned brawl until we graduate Beacon!" Shouted Xarles as he charged by. As always, the bulky man was different from the others. Not only did he carry a buster sword one and a half the height of Keldeo, but he also carried a gauntlet on his free hand as part of his style. Anything that wasn't destroyed by overwhelming force was immediately met with close range stopping power. Auris sighed before unsheathing his own saber.

"I highly doubt that Xarles." Then he immediately dashed into the nearest grunt, disarming him with a few quick motions, and diving head first into the battle.

A/N: This is just the prologue, so I felt like 1k words would be good. The first real chapter will probably be up soon, and range around maybe 5-8 k hopefully. Thanks for reading. :D


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